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October 16
Self- Acceptance Prayer Lord, Help me to accept the person that you made me to be, blessings, difficulties, and all. Help me to recognize the plans and purpose for my life and to know there is no purpose too big or too small in this world. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought In A.A. we have insurance. Our faith in God is a kind of insurance against the terrible things that might happen to us if we ever drink again. By putting our alcoholic problem in the hands of God, we've taken out a sort of insurance policy, which insures us against the ravages of drinking, as our homes are insured against destruction by fire. So ............ Am I paying my A.A. insurance premiums regularly? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Humility Humility isn’t always seen as a strength but sometimes thought of as a weakness. Some believe that humility is having low opinions of yourself, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence. It is in fact the opposite, humility is having the self-esteem to understand that even though you are doing well, you do not have to brag or gloat about it. It is important to stay humble because having humility not only helps you develop a more kind approach to interacting with others but it also influences how you perceive yourself and the world around you. Humility helps one extend more compassion and empathy to others.2 Those who practice humility are more likely to consider others’ beliefs and opinions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Perfection I never have been and never can be perfect. As that realization became a part of me -- and it took time -- it brought me one of the greatest of the many blessings that have come to me from AA. I learned to accept myself as a fallible human being. I do not have to strive for perfection. Mistakes are permissible. I have the right to be wrong. And what a comfort that thought is to me, as I make my bemused way through life, one foot in a bucket, pushing on doors marked "Pull." The Best of the Grapevine [Vol. 2], Pages 167-168 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Happiness is a choice, a repetitive one.” ~ Akilnathan Logeswaran |
October 17
Prayer For Alcoholic Anonymous Lord, Thank you for all those that are involved in helping others with their addiction to alcohol. We thank you for places like Alcoholic Anonymous and the many other places that are dedicated to helping men and women recover from this debilitating and distressing addiction. Give wisdom, grace and patience to all that are serving in one capacity or another to relieve the distress and devastation that alcoholism leaves in its wake. We pray that You would give them the right words of encouragement and advice to enable those that are addicted to permanently break free of their alcoholism and so live a more meaningful and fruitful life We pray that You would not only rescue alcoholic men and women from the depths of despair to which many have fallen, but also that bring them into the newness of life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought One of the mottoes of A.A. is "First Things First." This means that we should always keep in mind that alcohol is our number-one problem. We must never let any other problem, whether of family, business, friends, or anything else, take precedence in our minds over our alcoholic problem. As we go along in A.A., we learn to recognize the things that may upset us emotionally. When we find ourselves getting upset over something, we must realize that it's a luxury we alcoholics can't afford. Anything that makes us forget our number-one problem is dangerous to us. So ............ Am I keeping sobriety, in the first place, in my mind? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Choice God has given us two things - His spirit and the power of choice - to accept or not, as we will. We have the gift of free will. When we choose the path of selfishness and greed and pride, we are refusing to accept God's spirit. When we choose the path of love and service, we accept God's spirit and it flows into us and makes all things new. Choose the right way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Healing Contact Sometimes we become overburdened with frustration and disappointment in our lives. When we turn inward and focus only on our problems, we may be cutting ourselves off from the healing effect of contact with others. When we help others, we affirm our solidarity with them in their stress and suffering. We don't give help because we are better or without problems of our own, but because we suffer too. When we act as fellowmen/women, the comradeship and human contact we get provide us with as much help as we give. They liberate us from our own oppressive egos and make us see we are worthwhile. ~ Peter Benton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Take life one day at a time. There's no need to finish everything all at once. Avoid a hectic day and just breathe." ~ 12-Step Sayings for Everyone (Guideposts) |
October 18
Accepting Others Prayer Lord, It's sometimes hard for me to understand or accept or love those who are different from me. I find myself wanting to change them, so that they fit my accepted patterns. I know that the difference between us need not separate us, but my lack of understanding makes me want to stay within the safety of my own perceptions rather than embrace what seems foreign. Give me curiosity of mind so that I am open to the perspectives that others can offer me. Help me see the similarities that bind us together. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought "Live and Let Live." This, of course, means tolerance of people who think differently than we do, whether they are in A.A. or outside of A.A. We cannot afford the luxury of being intolerant or critical of other people. We do not try to impose our wills on those who differ from us. We are not "holier than thou." We do not have all the answers. We are not better than other good people. We live the best way we can and we allow others to do likewise. So ............ Am I willing to live and let live? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Patience How do you treat yourself? Do you talk to yourself in a kind and loving voice? We can’t be kind and loving to others until we learn to be kind and loving with ourselves. To live this way, we must give ourselves the gift of patience. Let’s practice patience with ourselves daily. Practice talking to yourself in a kind, loving voice. Your voice will be that of a loving parent who helps a child with a new task. Your Higher Power Is willing to be patient with you. Give yourself the same gift. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Habits Our drinking was connected with many habits -- big and little. Some of them were thinking habits, or things we felt inside ourselves. Others were doing habits -- things we did, actions we took. In getting used to not drinking, we have found that we needed new habits to take the place of those old ones. . . After we spent a few months practicing these new, sober habits or ways of acting and thinking, they became almost second nature to most of us, as drinking used to be. Living Sober, Preface ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “I live on a ship full of outcasts, populated by society's unacceptable. And yet, here I stand, happy. And I love them all. It is time to tender myself the same level of courtesy. Or perhaps it is time that I simply accepted that I too am one of the strange and abandoned.” ~ Gail Carriger |
October 19
Prayer For Purpose Lord, At times my days run together into weeks, into months, into years without any conscious thought on my part. Then, suddenly, I come to myself in the space of a moment and realize how unaware and without purpose I have been. Yet, when I try to define my purpose, it seems strangely elusive. I ask that you will give me clarity of purpose; that you will reveal to me my own reason for existence; that you will give me the sure and certain assurance that even when I have lost track of myself and my life, your purpose, though unknown to me or forgotten by me, is still being lived out through me. I ask this for this charity. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought There are just two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. Those of us who are givers delight in it. But sometimes we givers are uncomfortable when we're on the receiving end. We brush off thanks and gifts and help, even when they're needed or deserved. Those of us who are takers, on the other hand, know how to graciously receive what others have to give; we know how to ask for what we need. Often, however, we don't know how to give. We can all strive to become traders, people who have learned how to both give and receive. We each have the capacity to give what we have freely and to ask, gratefully, for what we don't have. So ............ What can I give and take today? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Garbage in, Garbage Out One thing we don't need in our lives is garbage from the past. Yet many of us say that old thoughts and bitter memories often sneak devilishly back to spoil what should have been a pleasant day. Why do we let garbage from the past befoul our lives a second time? There is no benefit in bringing back old garbage. We can't change the past. We can't change our mistakes by brooding about them, and we can't obtain justice by remembering how badly we were treated or by plotting revenge. When we bring back garbage, we allow it to occupy space that should be devoted to constructive and positive things. If we don't want garbage in our lives, let's not put it there by bringing up matters that should have been released, forgiven, and forgotten. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Accountability In the early days of his drinking, the alcoholic is often guilty of irresponsibility. But once the time of compulsive drinking has arrived, he can't very well be held fully accountable for his conduct. He then has an obsession that condemns him to drink. and a bodily sensitivity to alcohol that guarantees his final madness and death. But when he is made aware of this condition, he is under pressure to accept A.A.'s program of moral regeneration. "As Bill See It" Page 32 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “We all have a purpose in life, and when you find yours you will recognize it.” ~ Catherine Pulsifer “Inspiration in life is born when we have a purpose.” ~ Daniel Longwe |
October 20
Prayer to Relax Lord, Please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart. Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose and walk the path you've laid out for me. I trust your Love, and know that you will heal this stress. Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought How do I work with new prospects? Am I always trying to dominate the conversation? Do I lay down the law and tell prospects what they will have to do? Do I judge them privately and feel that they have a small chance of making the program? Do I belittle them to myself? Or am I willing to bare my soul so as to get them talking about themselves? And, then, am I willing to be a good listener, not interrupting, but hearing them out to the end? Do I feel deeply that they are my brothers or my sisters? So ............ Am I helping them along the path to sobriety? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Being Committed All people set goals and resolutions, and easily slip back into old habits. We are all haunted by the excuses and “yeah buts” that have cost us countless opportunities for growth and expansion. Many people are attached to comfort, safety, and simplicity. These values are important and can provide much tranquility, though to truly grow and expand we must find an area of our life where commitment supersedes comfort. Do your commitments live up to your dreams? Success comes with commitment. Being committed is a willingness to do whatever it takes to fulfill and follow through on a responsibility. It may not even be what we most enjoy, but nonetheless, being committed means we are going to do it regardless. Commitment is essential to being a winner and achieving our loftiest goals. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Service Work & Commitments A home group can provide you with opportunities for service work and commitments. This could include brewing the coffee before meetings, updating contact lists, collecting donations, and much more. Service work and commitments tie into the accountability benefits we learned about above. You’re much more likely to show up to a meeting if you know you’re supposed to put the chairs out and you’re much more likely to stay sober when you know things are expected of you. Alcoholics don’t typically like accountability and especially not chores, but service work and commitments work. Talk to the meeting chair about signing up for service work and commitments. ~ Anonymous A.A. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." ~ Art Turock |
October 21
Troubled Mind Prayer Dear Lord, Calm my troubled mind Still my worried heart Guide my endless thoughts Come and leave your mark. Shelter my tired body Lift my heavy soul Quiet my deepest fears Come and make me whole. Carry my deepest hurt Cover my open wounds Restore my abandoned dreams Come and hold my life. Open my ears to hear Shower my life with praise Full up my thoughts with truth Stay by me every day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought I no longer try to escape life through alcoholism. Drinking built up an unreal world for me and I tried to live in it. But in the morning light the real world was back again and facing it was harder than ever, because I had less resources with which to meet it. Each attempt at escape weakened my personality by the very attempt. Everyone knows that alcohol, by relaxing inhibitions, permits a flight from reality. Alcohol deadens the brain cells that preside over our highest faculties and we are off to the unreal world of alcoholism. A.A. taught me not to run away, but to face reality. So ............ Have I given up trying to escape life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Attention What most of us want is to be heard. If we want attention, we must also give it. That means letting go of all extraneous thoughts when we're in conversation with someone. We cannot expect to get from others what we are unable or unwilling to give. The beauty of hearing each other is that it helps us to hear ourselves. We know better who we are when we listen to one another. Every conversation offers us a chance to be real, to help another person be real. Attention is a gift. If I want to receive it, I must give it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H.A.L.T. H.A.L.T. stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These feelings can be dangerous to us. They can lead us away from our program. We need to eat regular meals. When we get too hungry, we get cranky. Then we say and do things we regret. We need to turn anger over to our Higher Power, or else our anger turns into rage. We need friends to help us in recovery. If we get too lonely, we may turn to an addictive way for friendship. We don't stay sober by ourselves. We need a clear mind to deal with life. If we get too tired, we tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Being tired gets us into crazy thinking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~ Leo Buscaglia |
October 22
Prayer for This Day Lord, It is so easy to focus only on my needs, but I ask that You would bless those around me. Please help my children, family and friends to see, feel and experience your love. Please protect and heal my loved ones. I thank You for the wonderful people I have in my life and I ask You to guide their paths this day. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought People believe in A.A. when they see it work. An actual demonstration is what convinces them. What they read in books, what they hear people say doesn't always convince them. But when they see a real honest-to-goodness change take place in a person, a change from an alcoholic to a sober, useful citizen, that's something they can believe because they can see it. There's really only one thing that proves to me that A.A. works. So ............ Have I seen the change in people who come into A.A.? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Destiny None of us, perhaps, ever thought we'd end up in recovery. But we were working at joining recovery years before we got here! Maybe recovery was our fate from the day we first took a drink. Others around us could see the writing on the wall, but we couldn't. We were too busy trying to avoid the pain. Alcoholism had a lot to do with us trying to find spiritual wholeness--- the kind of spiritual wholeness we're finding now. . .in recovery. So, let's welcome recovery into our lives. We have found our spiritual home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Choices Our necessities are certainly immense and compelling. Each of us must conform reasonably well to AA's Steps and Traditions, or else we shall go mad or die of alcoholism. Therefore the compulsion among most of us to survive and grow soon becomes far stronger than the temptation to drink or misbehave. Literally, we must 'do or die.' So we make the choice to live. This, in turn, means the choice of AA principles, practices, and attitudes. This is our first great and critical choice. Admittedly, this is made under the fearful and immediate lash of John Barleycorn, the killer. Plainly enough, this first choice is far more a necessity than it is an act of virtue. The Language of the Heart Pages 301-302 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “A half-truth is a whole lie.” ~ Yiddish Proverb "Every lie is two lies, the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it." ~ Robert Brault |
October 23
This Morning Prayer Lord, Please keep me and my loved ones from all danger and harm. Help me start this day with a new, pleasant attitude with plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so I can hear Your voice. Please broaden my mind so that I can accept all things without judgment. Let me not whine or complain over things I have no control over. And when the world closes in on me, let me remember, to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. Continue to use me to do Your Will. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought Do I always want to be up front in the limelight? Do I feel that nobody else can do as good a job as I can? Am I willing to take a seat in the back row once in a while and let somebody else carry the ball? Part of the effectiveness of any A.A. group is the development of new members to carry on, to take over from the older members. Am I reluctant to give up authority? Do I try to carry the load for the whole group? If so, I am not being fair to the newer members. Do I realize that no one person is essential? So ............ Do I know that A.A. could carry on without me, if it had to? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Listening It's hard to listen in a complete way. Often, we listen, but we're still thinking about ourselves. We wonder, "How do their words relate to me? Do I have anything to add?" Often, fear is behind these questions. We fear saying the wrong thing. We fear looking stupid. Good listeners know how to let go of their fears. To listen completely, we step outside ourselves, and we're totally there for someone else. Sometimes we listen for only a few moments. Sometimes we don't even agree with the people we're listening to. But we let them know that they count. What a gift we give when we listen in a complete way! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Praise It's always heady stuff when others congratulate us on our victory over alcohol. Fair-minded people will have considerable admiration for what appears to be a bootstrap effort to make a comeback from despair and defeat. We can accept this praise with grace and modesty. At some point, however, we should emphasize that our recovery was an example of spiritual principles at work and that thousands have been able to follow in the same path. Sober AA members are not exceptions; they are examples of what the program can do in people's lives. It is important to emphasize that we are ordinary people. The marvelous thing about the program is that it works for ordinary people like ourselves. Many people in the fellowship have great talent and ability, but those gifts have nothing to do with staying sober. The gifted person gets sober the same way anybody does..... by admitting powerlessness over alcohol and by accepting the program. ~ Mel B. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex." ~ Norman Vincent Peale |
October 24
Prayer for Contentment Lord, I pray for Contentment. Help me to stay positive even when it feels like my world is falling apart. Help me to see blessings, even in my burdens Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought It's been proven that we alcoholics can't get sober by our willpower. We've failed again and again. Therefore, I believe there must be a Higher Power which helps me. I think of that power as the grace of God. And I pray to God every morning for the strength to stay sober today. I know that power is there because it never fails to help me. So ............ Do I believe that AA. works through the grace of God? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Honesty Sometimes we think that honesty is simply too painful and demanding---- all sacrifice with no gain. If we are completely honest with ourselves, however, the results can only be positive. What are the advantages of being entirely honest about our motives and feelings? One benefit is that we never will have to face the disillusionment and humiliation that come from self-deception. An honest person has self-respect and a clear conscience. In real honesty, there is no inner struggle to keep up appearances or to pretend we are anybody except ourselves. Honesty makes us comfortable rather than pained, relaxed rather than anxious, and decisive rather than confused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Essence of Growth Let us never fear needed change. Certainly, we have to discriminate between changes for better. But once a need becomes clearly apparent in an individual, in a group, or in A.A. as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way. The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails. As Bill Sees It Page 115 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Storms make trees take deeper roots." ~ Claude McDonald |
October 25
Peace of Mind Prayer Lord, Grant me peace in my heart, eliminate the pain and relieve me of the stress I feel. Allow Your serenity and love to consume me. Relax my mind, my body and my soul as I surrender myself to You. Revive the joy and energy I once had. Allow Your light to infiltrate through the darkness and grace me so I can smile again. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We in Alcoholics Anonymous are fortunate in that we are constantly reminded of the need to be grateful and of how important gratitude is in our sobriety. I am truly grateful for the sobriety God has given me through the A.A. program and am glad I can give back what was given to me freely. I am grateful not only for sobriety, but for the quality of life my sobriety has brought. God has been gracious enough to give me sober days and a life blessed with peace and contentment, as well as the ability to give and receive love, and the opportunity to serve others -- in our Fellowship, my family and community. So ............ Do I have "a full and thankful heart?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Honesty The most precious gift we can give those closest to us is honesty. Yet we often hide our true selves from friends, fearing we won't be accepted or loved if we let them see the real us. If we hide too much behind false images, we run the risk of losing track of what is real and what is false. We become actors instead of real people. When we conquer our fear of letting others in, we are able to see ourselves honestly. When we discover that others accept us as we are, we can accept and love ourselves. To know oneself is to know a person of value. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shocking Conclusion When A.A. was quite young, a number of eminent psychologists and doctors made an exhaustive study of a good-sized group of so-called problem drinkers. The doctors weren't trying to find how different we were from one another; they sought to find whatever personality traits, if any, this group of alcoholics had in common. They finally came up with a conclusion that shocked the A.A. members of that time. These distinguished men had the nerve to say that most of the alcoholics under investigation were still childish, emotionally sensitive, and grandiose. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions Pages 122-123 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes “There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it.” ~ Shannon L. Alder "Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be." ~ Sonia Ricotte |
October 26
Prayer of Gratitude Lord, Thank you for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in many ways. Also, thank you, Lord, for keeping me safe. You help me make better choices, and you have provided me with advisors that help me with the difficult decisions. You speak to me in so many ways. And Lord, I am so grateful to you, for keeping those around me safe and loved. I hope that you provide me with the ability and sense to show them every day how much they matter. I hope that you give me the ability to give to them the same kindness they have provided to me. I am just so grateful for all of your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind me of just how lucky I am, and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and return kind acts. Amen ~ Kelli Mahoney ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The A.A. program, is one of submission, release, and action. When we're drinking, we're submitting to a power greater than ourselves, alcoholism. Our own wills are no use against the power of alcohol. One drink and we're sunk. In A.A. we stop submitting to the power of alcohol. Instead, we submit to a Power, also greater than ourselves, which we call God. So ............ Have I submitted myself to that Higher Power? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Petty Annoyances Do not become encumbered by petty annoyances. Never respond to emotional upsets by emotional upset. Try to keep calm in all circumstances. Try not to fight back. Call on the grace of God to calm you when you feel like retaliating. Look to God for the inner strength to drop those resentments that drag you down. If you are burdened by annoyances, you will lose your inward peace and the spirit of God will be shut out. Try to keep peace within. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Long View One thing we learn in A.A. is to take a long view of drinking instead of a short view. When we were drinking, we thought more about the pleasure or release that a drink would give us, than we did about the consequences which would result from our taking that drink. Liquor looks good from the short view. When we look in a package store window, we see liquor dressed up in its best wrappings, with fancy labels and decorations. They look swell. But have I learned that what's inside those beautiful bottles is just plain poison to me? (Not sure where this came from) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Few Quotes "Humility isn't denying your strengths; it's being honest about your weaknesses." ~ Rick Warren "Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others" ~ Gordon B. Hinckley |
October 27
Prayer for Wisdom In everything we do, Lord, give us a desire to seek out the truth; give us a willingness to heed the advice of others; give us wisdom in reaching decisions; give us faith to believe in our conclusions; give us courage to put our ideas to the test; and, if we prove ourselves wrong, give us the grace to admit it. Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought What draws newcomers to A.A. and gives them hope? They hear the stories of men and women whose experiences correspond with their own. The expressions on the faces of the women, that indefinable something in the eyes of the men, the stimulating atmosphere of the A.A. clubroom, conspire to let them know that there is haven at last. The very practical approach to their problems, the absence of intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the uncanny understanding that these people in A.A. have is irresistible. So ............ Have I found a new way of life in A.A.? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Excuses We use excuses to hide from ourselves. Maybe we don’t want to be honest about our anger. So we say someone else made us angry. Maybe we don’t want to admit how mean we can be. So we pretend we have no part in what happens. Excuses keep us from ourselves. They keep us from our High Power. A lot of our program is about looking at ourselves. Steps Four, Five, and Ten tell us to be honest about our excuses. We can be honest because we are good people. We are loved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serenity I came into my apartment and I suddenly collapsed on the floor. I lay there breathing kind of heavily and I said to myself, "Oh, to hell with serenity. I don't care if it never comes." And I meant it. And do you know what happened? All of a sudden the craving to find serenity utterly evaporated - and in its place was serenity. The trouble was the search ... looking there for what was right here. Daily Reflections Page 197 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Nothing is interesting, if you are not interested." ~ Helen MacInnes |
October 28
Brick Wall Prayer Lord, you know my fears and my desires. Lord, don't let my desires blind me to your will. If this is not within your plan for me, throw up a Brick Wall. Give me an obstacle I cannot get past. Help me follow your will. Give me peace about whatever is to come. If my desires fall through, I will know it is your hand. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought We're so glad to be free from alcohol that we do something about it. We get into action. We come to meetings regularly. We go out and try to help other alcoholics. We pass on the good news whenever we get a chance. In a spirit of thankfulness to God, we get into action. The A.A. program is simple. Submit yourself to God, find release from alcoholism, and get into action. Do these things and keep doing them and you're all set for the rest of your life. So ............ Have I got into action? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Wisdom & Stress Wisdom begins in seeing how much we do not know. Sometimes it's a painful blow to our egos to face what we still have to learn. Many of us have believed we know how to live. When our lives seem full of crises - perhaps then it is time to open ourselves to some new learning. We can talk to friends and get ideas from family members. Perhaps they have noticed our blind spots and will tell us if asked. Expressing our problems in specific ways may point us to new learning. We may need to learn new ways to ask for & accept support. We can also as God to guide us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Growth & Change Change is the characteristic of all growth. From drinking to sobriety, from dishonesty to honesty, from conflict to serenity, from hate to love, from childish independence to adult responsibility--all this and infinitely more represent change for the better. Such changes are accomplished by a belief in and a practice of sound principles. Here we must needs discard bad or ineffective principles in favor of good ones that work. Even good principles can sometimes be displaced by the discovery of still better ones. Only God is unchanging; only He has all the truth there is. As Bill Sees It Page 76 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote "Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt." ~ St. Francis of Assisi |
October 29
Happiness and Peace Prayer Lord, I pray that you bless me with true happiness and peace in life. Lead me away from hate and anger toward love. From a restless mind and anxiety, give me peace. Lead me from fear of death to eternal life. When I suffer despair and lack of confidence, lead me to hope, faith, and trust. Lead me away from dishonesty and deceit toward eternal truth. Allow eternal peace and tranquility to fill my heart, my mind, my life, and my world. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought The A.A. program is one of hope. It's a program of hope because when new members come into A.A., the first thing they get is hope. They hear older members tell how they had been through the same kind of he!! that they have and how they found the way out through A.A. And this gives them hope that if others can do it, they can do it. So ............ Is hope still strong in me? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Choices We've been given recovery. For this, we're lucky. And we're grateful. Now it's up to us. We must accept our choices. When we're afraid, do we choose to be alone? Or do we choose to go to extra meetings? When we're not honest, do we keep it secret? Or do we admit it and try to be more honest? No matter what we choose, we're responsible for that choice. Through choices, we either make our program strong or weak. We can choose to be lucky. Or we can choose not to be. The choice is ours. Our addiction robbed us of choice. It taught us to blame others. Now we see ourselves as responsible. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trouble There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and in depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered. Then came AA. Here we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody -- a fact that had to be understood and dealt with. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings. As Bill Sees It Page 110 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” ~ John F. Kennedy |
October 30
Prayer Just for Today Lord, Just for this day, Help me to understand and do your will. Allow me the strength to face and overcome stressful situations. Please give my family and friends the same strength, this day. Let me try to help another human being, like I was helped. Allow me the willingness to look for the good and serenity to accept the bad. Amen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Thought My primary purpose is to stay sober. The great paradox of A.A. is that I know I cannot keep the precious gift of sobriety unless I give it away. In A.A. I have no other goal, and the importance of this is a matter of life or death for me. If I veer from this purpose, I lose. But A.A. is not only for me; it is for the alcoholic who still suffers. The legions of recovering alcoholics stay sober by sharing with fellow alcoholics. The way to my recovery is to show others in A.A. that when I share with them, we both grow in the grace of the Higher Power, and both of us are on the road to a happy destiny. So ............ Is my primary purpose to stay sober? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Contemplation Humility Humility is the quality of being humble and means putting the needs of another person before your own, and thinking of others before yourself. It also means not drawing attention to yourself, and it can mean acknowledging that you are not always right. To cultivate humility: Spend time listening to others, Practice mindfulness and focus on the present, Be grateful for what you have, Ask for help when you need it, Seek feedback from others on a regular basis, Review your actions against the language of pride. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upkeep When my own house is in order, I find the different parts of my life are more manageable. Stripped from the guilt and remorse that cloaked my drinking years, I am free to assume my proper role in the universe, but this condition requires maintenance. I should stop and ask myself, Am I having fun yet? If I find answering that question difficult or painful, perhaps I'm taking myself too seriously and finding it difficult to admit that I've strayed from my practice of working the program to keep my house in order. Daily Reflections Page 31 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just a Quote “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life” ~ J.K. Rowlings |
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